THE GOOD LIFE IS HERE

Nov 23, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Guyanese do not appreciate just how good they have it. They may not have all the things that they want but judging from what is seen, the good life is here already.
People just have to learn how to enjoy it. No Guyanese have to wake up and face below zero degrees temperature. They do not have to bundle together a hurried meal, drink a hot cup of coffee and then hurry to the closet to put on two layers of clothing, then cover that over with a coat and proceed through the door only to find that snow fell overnight and the driveways needs clearing.
They do not have to take a spade and move the snow away, then step cautiously along the pavement, join the bus and drive one hour to catch the subway. They do not have to travel for another one hour in the subway before reaching their place of work where they will labour non-stop until afternoon when they will make the return journey.
By the time they get home, they would have been more tired from the traveling than from the days’ work and would have little time else other than to eat a re-heated meal and to jump under the covers to get a few hours sleep before starting the routine all over.
That is hard life. That is bruising life. It may pay well materially but how many of us can honestly say that we would not have loved to be in a warmer climate, in more relaxed atmosphere? How many of us would not have loved to have been back home?
The argument has been made that the average Guyanese does not enjoy the material comforts of those in the First World. But it is asking too much in too short a time, considering where the nation was economically, for everyone to have what the average citizen has in the United States.
And yet you go into the homes of the average Guyanese and you find that some of them have flat screen televisions, microwaves, washing machines, gas stoves and stereo systems. They have the basics and more.
The average Guyanese burns more lights that the average American and the growth in motor vehicles is as such that within the next few years there is going to be a car in every home.
Healthcare may not be the best but it is free and if Guyanese believe that they get a hassle at the emergency room at the national hospital, then they should visit some of the emergency rooms in the metropolitan societies. Without health insurance, the average American’s goose is cooked.
This is not comparing the two countries. Surely, Guyana is way behind but yet the people in Guyana have a good standard of life and while materially they are not on par with the average man in the richer countries, there is a lot going for Guyana in terms of happiness, in terms of the lifestyle, in terms of the friendliness of our people and how to get along. That is the good life too.
Whoever wins the elections is going to want to make that life better and from an outsider’s perspective, there are certain things which can be done almost immediately.
For one, Guyanese have to be more responsible for the littering that is taking place. This is a problem that is being created by citizens. The government has to solve the problem but that problem is not of their creation.
The second problem that makes life better is paying a little more attention to the recreation areas especially within the rural areas. There must be places for children to go and play in the afternoons, rather than playing ball on the streets. That will make life better.
The other thing is manners. Guyanese are very friendly people and have always been known to be mannerly and helpful. Yet so often you see an old person trying to cross the streets and no one seems to be willing to lend a helping hand. We can have a better life in Guyana is we learn to be happy.
Then there is the way we treat animals. In this day and age we should not have dray carts. The sight of an animal suffering under the strain of having to pull tons of building material is distressing and this is one area where more work needs to be done. The good life is not just about humans but also how we treat the animals too.
If a Guyanese wakes up tomorrow and decides that he or she does not feel like going to work, he or she simply stays at home and calls in sick. And many Guyanese love to work by themselves and so they are their own bosses. This is a good life. Not many immigrants have that luxury.
So whatever happens next week with the elections in Guyana, the people should value what they have. Christmas is just around the corner and this is the best time of the year in the country. Being in Guyana at Christmas is enjoying the good life.
Guyana has a great deal of wealth and there is no reason why everyone should not be happier, should not have the good life. But unless you can appreciate what you have now, you may never know when to stop and enjoy what life has to offer.

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